Hub-lubricating device



AT raie.

JAMES J. HENN'ESSY, 0F NEW YORK, II. Y.

'HUB-LUBRCATING DEVCE.

Specification of Letters Patent. i Patentd llay 1'?, 1921.

Application filed November 6, 19179. Serial No. 336,019.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES J..HENNEssY, citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in lub-Lubricating Devices, of whichy the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to lubricating devices and more particularly to a device adapted to be utilized in connection with journal boxes for automatically effecting the lubrication of the inner faces of loco-V motive wheel hubs, the hubs of inside bearing trailers of locomotives, and the like.

lt will be understood that the wheel carrying axles of locomotives and the like have a slight lateral movement in their bearings, and as a result the inner faces of the wheel hubs very frequently Contact with the outer portions of the bearings or parts of the wall in which said bearings are located, and as a result of such Contact friction and rapid wear is produced, and I propose to overcome these objectionable results by arranging relatively simple devices in the journal box, preferably in the lower part thereof, and which devices are actuated by the lateral movement of the wheels for automatically applying liquid lubrication to the inner faces of the wheel hubs.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an automatic lubricating device which can be readily combined with the ordinary journal box and said device being very eective in performing its intended functions.

lWith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of a journal box for a locomotive axle and showing my improved hub face lubricating device applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken through the center of the lubricating device. l

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a bearing` for the springpressed plunger of the device.

Fig. i is an enlarged cross section taken approximately on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

yFig. Y5 is a vertical section of a modified form of the device.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the modified form of the device.

Referring by numerals to the accompanyf ing drawings whichfillustrate a practical,y

embodiment of my invention, 10 designates thel locomotive journall box, 11 the journal of the axle, andlQ the hub of the wheel that is carried by said axle.

Formed in the lower outer corner lof the ournal box is a pocket 13, the outer end of which is closed by a screw plug 14, the same being provided with an axially disposed aperture 15 and formed in the upper portion of the wall which surrounds said pocket 13 is an aperture 16 which permits liquid lubricant to pass from the chamber within the ournal box into the' pocket 13.

Arranged for sliding movement through aperture 15 is a cylindrical plunger 17, the inner end of which or that end that is positioned within the pocket 13 being. provided with a head or flange 18 and interposed between this head or flange and the end wall of the pocket 13 is a compression spring 19.

Atxtending axially through the plunger 17 1s a duct or passageway 2O and extending radially from the inner end thereof to points l vthe radial ports 21 are closed owingto the fact that said ports are located beyond the inner face of bearing 14. (See Fig. 1.)

When the wheel moves inwardly or t0-v ward the journal bearing, the plunger 17 is forced inwardly against the resistance offerd by spring 19 to the position as illustrated in Fig. 2, thereby uncovering the ports 21.

When so positioned, liquid lubricant is free to flow through said ports and through duct 20 and said liquid lubricant will discharge from the outer en d of said duct directly onto the inner surface of the hub 12, such action being accelerated by the wiping movement of the inner face ot the hub across the end of the plunger.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to l inclusive, the vwall surrounding pocket 1.3,is shown as being an integral part of the journal box 10 and while such construction Vis entirely practical, it may-be desirable to construct the device as illustrated in Figs. 5 and t5, wherein a hollow cylindrical mem` ber 23 is detachably seated in the outer wall ol:l the journal box and the outer end of said cylindrical member being closed by a removable plug 24:, the latter being provided with an axially disposed bearing for the plunger 17. This latter construction is adapted 'foi-.journal boxes which are now in use.

A lubricating device of my improved construction is comparatively simple, is entirely automa-tic in operation, and is very eilective in applying liquid lubricant to the inner faces of locomotive wheel hubs or in moving a member which operates immediately adj acentto a fixed member or bearing.

lt will be readily understood that minor changes inthe size, form and construction ot' the various parts or" my improved lubricating device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope or which is set forth in th appended claims.

l claim: y

1. The combination with a journal box having a poclret which receives liquid. lubricant from the chamber within the journal box, of a spring pressed member arranged ior operation Within said pocket and extending to the exterior of the journal box, and there being a lubricant duct formed through said member.

2. rlhe combination with a journal box provided with a pocket which receives liquid lubricant from the chamber within 'the journal box, of a spring pressed plunger arranged for operation in one of the walls of the pocket, there being'a lubricant duct formed in saidl member, and the outer portion of said member normally projecting beyond the outer face of the journal box for engagement with the inner ace of a part of the wheel carried lby the axle operating in said journal box.

3.V The combination with a vjournal box provided with a pocket adapted to receive liquid lubricant 'from the chamber within said journal box, a plug closing the outer end of said pocket, and a spring pressed plunger arranged for sliding movement in said plug, which plunger is provided with a liquid lubricant duct.

d. The combination with va journalbox Vhaving a pocket adapted to receive liquid lubricant from the chamber within the journal box, of a plunger arranged for sliding movement through one oic the walls of said pocket and extending to the exterior of the journal box, saidplunger being provided with a lubricant duct, means Yfor limiting the outward movement of said plunger, and yielding pressure means for resisting the inward movement of said plunger.

5. The combination with a journal box having' a pocket adaptedto receive liquid lubricant, of a removable member closing the outer end of said pocket, a plunger arranged or sliding Vmovement through said removable'member, the outer end of which plunger is adapted to be engaged by a movable member operating adjacent to the j ournal box, said plunger being provided with a vlubricant duct, and yielding pressure means for resisting the inward movement or' said plunger.

6. A journal box having a lubricant pocket and a perforated plunger arranged for operation within said pocket, a portion of which plunger 'extends to the exterior or" `the journal box and is adapted to be engaged 

